Debunking New Facebook
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on the new Facebook stuff. Well it seems they added lots more, and there is outrage. I personally don’t find it too bad, and here is why.
What exactly ‘new’ Facebook is offering is news feeds on when your friends update their profiles in any way. This includes adding a new friend, wall messages, new groups, pictures, etc. People don’t like that because it makes Facebook more “stalkerish,” to use a term coined by most of the Student Activities Office. But really, why would people post these things on Facebook? So others will see them. Facebook is an outlet for people to brag or wear their heart on their sleeve. More importantly, however, to share their information with friends. And the feeds are in accordance to your Privacy settings on Facebook.
One detail I think most people are over looking too, is the ability to “Hide” a story. Since your profile has your own mini feed on it, you can click on the X on any of your stories to hide that story. Then, it won’t show up there, or on your friends’ main news feed. Also, unless people can see your profile, they cannot see, for example, what a person wrote on your wall. Facebook is really not all that different. It is just easier to get information you are privy too. There will, no doubt, soon be a way to turn off the feeds too.
The main reason I like the new features, however, is because the people at Facebook are very smart, and from a programmer’s stand point, this is really a complex work of art. Without diving too much into the details I can tell they spent a good amount of time adding these features, and making it so it meshes nice with the now ‘old’ Facebook. I say give it a chance. If they take it away, you will probably miss it. Later!
PS- I overlooked another new feature- the ability to support candidates in the upcoming mid-term elections. Go to “edit” next to “My Profile” and click “Election”
UPDATE: This morning, there is an Open Letter from Mark Zuckerberg apologizing for the feeds, and announcing new privacy settings.
I agree. With the new privacy (if you could say that) options, the complains should die down within the month. This is assuming that people educate themselves about hiding their own actions. I’m gonna wait and see if theres any future negative repercussions of this new system, and eventually leave the groups which were created to show their distaste to the system.
1. fuck the facebook. i’m sick of hearing people complain about how stalkerish it is now, whe they went to great lengths to find out all that information before the feed. it’s because the thrill of the hunt is gone. all their stalker information is on the home page; there’s no more prowling around, checking who dumped who and reading through people’s walls for clues to what they did the previous night. facebook is crap.
2. I’m reading invisible monsters right now. i’m three chapters in and it’s pretty good so far. i really enjoy palahniuk’s writing style.